Mary Frances Penick was born on December 30, 1931 in the small Appalachian town of Dry Ridge, Kentucky. As a child, her grandfather nicknamed her "Skeeter" because she was always active and buzzing around like a mosquito. She got her start in music as part of the duo, The Davis Sisters, along with childhood friend, Betty Jack Davis. Thus, Skeeter Davis was born to the rest of the world.
The Davis Sisters sang in the local Lexington, Kentucky area and appeared on local radio WLAX in 1949. From there, they earned radio and television appearances in Detroit, Cincinnati and Wheeling, WV, where they were part of the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree.
In 1952, Skeeter and Betty Jack recorded for Fortune, but won a recording contract with RCA the following year and achieved their first chart success. "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know" went to number one on the U.S. country chart and number eighteen on the U.S. pop chart.
Sadly, on August 23, 1953, Skeeter and Betty Jack were involved in a serious car accident in which Betty Jack died and Skeeter was critically injured. It took Skeeter more than a year to recover both physically and mentally. With great difficulty and a lot of persuasion, Skeeter returned to singing with Betty Jack's sister, Georgia Davis, to briefly resume the Davis Sisters' act. But, within a year, the duo broke up and Skeeter pursued a solo career.
She continued to record on the RCA label where she worked with Eddy Arnold and Elvis Presley. In 1955, she toured for RCA on the Caravan of the Stars. Davis teamed up with producer, Chet Atkins and scored her first solo country chart hit in 1958 with "Lost To A Geisha Girl." This was during a time when the female acts were surging forward with "response" songs to some of the biggest hits by male artists. As Kitty Wells had answered Hank Thompson's "Honky Tonk Angels," with "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" in 1952, Skeeter Davis put out this answer to Hank Locklin's "Geisha Girl."
A few years later, Davis recorded another answer to a Hank Locklin song and gained another huge hit. Locklin sang "Please Help Me I'm Falling" and Davis' response was, "I Can't Help You, I'm Falling Too."
In 1959, Davis achieved one of her greatest ambitions when she moved to Nashville and became a regular member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1960, she married WSM personality, Ralph Emery, but the tumultuous marriage ended in 1964.
During the 1960's, Davis was one of RCA's most successful country artists. She harvested 26 U.S. country hits, 12 of which crossed over to the U.S. pop charts. Among these was what was to become her trademark song, the million-selling record "The End Of The World" which peaked at number two in both the U.S. country and pop charts in 1963. She also earned her only UK chart presence with "The End Of The World" which topped out at number eighteen in only thirteen weeks on the chart.
Davis has also acheived songwriting success. Her co-written song "Set Him Free" became her first country Top 10 hit in 1959. She also co-wrote "My Last Date" with Boudleaux Bryant and Floyd Cramer. Cramer, famed pianist and member of the original A-team, recorded it as an instrumental solo and had a million-selling record on it in 1960.
During the 60's and 70's, Davis toured extensively in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Far East. Her solo career started to wane in the 70's, but she still had several more hits such as "Bus Fare To Kentucky," "I'm A Lover, Not A Fighter," and "One Tin Soldier." Her duets with Bobby Bare, George Hamilton IV, and The Bee Gees gave her a few more hits, but by the mid-70's, Davis was reaching the end of her illustrious career. She ended her twenty-two year relationship with RCA in 1974 and charted her last hit for Mercury in 1976 with "I Love Us."
In 1967, Davis recorded a tribute album to Buddy Holly, which featured Waylon Jennings on the guitar. Later in 1972, she also did a tribute album to her friend, Dolly Parton. In 1985, she re-recorded an old Davis Sisters' hit, "May You Never Be Alone," with the group NRBQ. She married Joey Spampanito of NRBQ, but this marriage ultimately ended in divorce as well.
In 1973, Davis was dropped from the Grand Ole Opry's roster due to her strong criticisms of the Nashville Police Department during one of her performances. Her membership was later reinstated.
Davis has also taken to writing about her real life experiences. Her autobiography, "Bus Fare To Kentucky," was published in 1993. Davis pulls no punches in this brutally honest account of her life. She tells how she endured a family history of alcoholism, incest and murder. She also tells her side of the story regarding her four year marriage to Ralph Emery, following the heavy criticism which she received in Emery's autobiography. In 1997, she co-wrote a children's Christmas book, entitled "The Christmas Note," based on her own childhood.
Skeeter Davis passed away September 19th 2004 after a long battle with cancer.
Written by Sherry Anderson. June 2001
* Article appears courtesy of www.countrypolitan.com
Keep Your Hands off My Baby
Skeeter Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I let you share what's mine
But when you mess with the boy I love
It's time to draw the line
Keep your hands (keep your hands) off my bay-ee-a-by
I ain't gonna tell you but-a one more time
Oh, keep your hands (keep your hands) off my bay-ee-a-by
Girl, you get it through your head
I don't mind when you lend my clothes
My jewelry and such
But, honey, let's get something straight
There's one thing you don't touch
Keep your hands (keep your hands) off my baby
Girl, you get it through your head
That boy is mine
Keep your hands (keep your hands) off my bay-ee-a-by
I ain't gonna tell you but-a one more time
Oh, keep your hands (keep your hands) off my bay-ee-a-by
Girl, you get it through your head
That boy is mine
(Keep your hands)
Oh, keep your hands (off my) off my baby (bay-ee-a-by )
I ain't gonna tell you twice
(Keep your hands off my)
He's mine (bay-ee-a-by)
Yay, yay, yeah, he's mine
(Keep your hands off my)
You better watch yourself, now (bay-ee-a-by)
In the song "Keep Your Hands off My Baby," Skeeter Davis sings about the importance of boundaries when it comes to friends and relationships. She acknowledges that she and her friend have been close for a long time, and she doesn't mind sharing certain things with her, such as clothes and jewelry. However, when it comes to the boy she loves, she draws the line. She makes it clear that her friend needs to keep her hands off her baby, and that there's only so much she can tolerate before the relationship becomes strained.
The lyrics express a sense of possessiveness over the singer's partner, which mirrors the cultural norms of the time when the song was released in 1962. During this era, women were often viewed as the property of their husbands or male partners, and it was common for men to feel threatened by other men trying to "steal" their partners. In this context, the singer's warning to her friend to keep her hands off her baby can be seen as a reflection of these deeply ingrained cultural attitudes.
Overall, the song is a cautionary tale about the importance of setting boundaries in personal relationships, and the potential consequences of failing to do so. It suggests that true friendship involves respecting each other's boundaries and being mindful of what is off-limits.
Line by Line Meaning
We've been friends for oh, so long
We have been friends for a long time.
I let you share what's mine
I allowed you to share my possessions.
But when you mess with the boy I love
But if you interfere with the boy I am in love with,
It's time to draw the line
I need to set a clear boundary.
Keep your hands (keep your hands) off my bay-ee-a-by
Do not touch my baby.
I ain't gonna tell you but-a one more time
I am not going to repeat myself.
Girl, you get it through your head
Understand this clearly,
That boy is mine
The boy belongs to me.
I don't mind when you lend my clothes
It does not bother me when you borrow my clothes.
My jewelry and such
Or any of my accessories.
But, honey, let's get something straight
However, let's clarify something.
There's one thing you don't touch
There is one thing you should not touch.
Oh, keep your hands (keep your hands) off my bay-ee-a-by
Do not touch my baby.
He's mine (bay-ee-a-by)
The boy is mine.
Yay, yay, yeah, he's mine
I claim ownership of him.
You better watch yourself, now (bay-ee-a-by)
Be careful not to mess with him.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jk9999
This was the only version I'd ever heard...just listened to Little Eva's and I still like this one best.
thereareotherworlds
Me too.
Henry DuRocher
Always loved the Little Eva version but something about Skeeter’s voice and harmonies makes me tear up. She was something special.
Bob Baldwin
This is my first time for hearing "Keep Your Hands" and it sounds very good. I do not know why it was not a huge hit for Skeeter! I am 65 and enjoy going back to the songs and singers that were not available until now due to "YouTube".
SandySummers
Beautiful arrangment .
Rebecca Letton
I was brought up listening to Skeeter Davis ..She is absolutely marvellous. My Favourite Lady of Country..Bar None..x
Calle kalas
Such a lovely voice damn it!!
thecountofbasie
NICE...makes me wonder why Skeeter didn't do more Goffin-King songs...every one she cut was magic...thanks for posting
RAVINDRA GUPTA
It's great
Little Eva and Skeeter version both are awesome
Steve Carroll
Carole King at her mostmasterful.